Computing measuring-cabinet.



PATENTED AUG. 11, 1903.

13. AUSTIN. COMPUTING MEASURING CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 28. 1902.

0 MODEL.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTBD AUG. 11, 1903.

b E. J. AUSTIN. COMPUTING MEASURING CABINET.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 28- 1902.

2SHEETS8HEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

23 eeaeeeeeeaaaeeeez eeeeeo aeaeeeeoemaaq No.735,852. I Patented August 11, 1903. UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST J. AUSTIN, or NEWTON, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO FRED L. MAYTAGQOF NEWTON, IOWA.

COMPUTING MEASURING-CABINET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of "Letters Patent N 0. 735,852, dated August 11, 1903.

Application filed August 28, 1902- Serial No. 121.408. No model.) I

1'0 aZZ whom it may concern.- Afurther object is to provide means for pre- Beitknown that I, ERNEST J. AUSTIN,"a citiventing a substance contained in the cabinet zen of the United States, residing at Newton, from flowing too rapidly into the measuringin the county of Jasper and State of Iowa, chamber. This means assists materially in 5 have invented certain new and useful Imsupporting the substancein the cabinet.

provements in Computing Measuring-Cabi A further object is to provide a computing nets, of which the following is a specification. measuring-cabinet in which .the measuring This invention is a measuring-cabinet deportion can be adjusted to substances of difsigned to contain a quantity of cofiee or other ferent weight and size without changing the no substance which is sold in the ordinary grocomputing-plate on the front of the measurcery store,and is operated to discharge certain ing-chamber. portions of predetermined measure from the My invention consists in certain details in cabinet. the construction, arrangement, and combina- My object is to provide an attachment to a tion of the various partsof the device where- [5 machine of the class described which will preby the objects contemplated are attained, as vent the machine from being clogged up by hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out substance contained in it on account of such in my claims, and illustrated in the accomsubstancegettingintotheworking parts of the panying drawings, in whichmachine, and, further, to provide an attach- Figure 1 shows the complete measuring- 7o 20 ment which can be easily and readily applied cabinet in perspective. Fig. 2 shows a vertito machines of the class referred to in use at cal longitudinal sectional view of the lower the present time by simply removing a small portion of my cabinet with the upper portion portion of said machine and attaching my dethereof broken away. Fig. 3 is a front elevice to it. vation of the partition in the measuring-cham- 25 A further and primary object is to provide her. Fig. 4. is a perspective view of the comadjustable plates in a machine of the class plete measuring-chamber. Fig. 5 is a crossdescribed which can be readily adjusted to sectional View of the measuring-chamber and vary the size of the measuring portion of the the partition in said chamber out through the cabinet as to enable the operator to use subrod for operating the partition, and Fig. 6 is o stances of different weights by simply adjusta detail perspective view of a portion of the ing eccentrics or other means whereby the inrod and handle by which the partition in the ner ends of the plates are raised and lowered; measuring chamber is operated and also A further object is to provide an accurate shows the plate which is attached to the front measuring-box the partition in which can be side of the measuring-chamber. 5 readily and easily moved from one portion of Referring to the accompanying drawings,

it to another and held firmly in position by I have used the reference-numeral 10 to indimeans of a portion of my device. cate the machine-frame. At the top of the Afurther objectistoprovidean attachment machine-frame is a hinged cover 11. Near for a machine of the class referred to which is the central portion of the machine-frame is a 40 so constructed that it can be readily attached horizontal partition 12, having the opening 13 beneath the inclined bottom of a computing near its forward edge and at its central pormeasuring-cabinet and which will be a slight tion. I have provided an inclined bottom 14 distance below said inclined bottom, so that for the interior of the frame, which extends when the substance contained above the infrom the sides and back to a point adjacent 5 5 clined bottom is escaping it will be directed to the opening'13. In the front of theframe' as desired bythe operator and prevented from I have provided a glass plate, so thatthe inescapiug any other way. terior of the cabinet can be easily viewed from A further object is to provide an attachits exterior. At some distance beneath the ment which will even the coffee off in the horizontal partition 12 isasecond horizontal [O0 50 measuring-chamber at any desirable level in partition 15, having an opening 16 near one said chamber. end thereof, said opening being out of Mine ment with the opening 13 in the horizontal partition 12. A chute 17 is fixed to the under surface of the partition 15, and beneath the opening 16 they discharge forwardly and downwardly. Within the space between the horizontal partitions 12 and Ihave mounted a measuring-cabinet 18, open at its top and bottom and of a length capable of extending from one edge of the opening 13 to the opposite side of the cabinet from said edge. In height the measuring-chamber is designed to fit accurately between the partitions 12 and 15, and it is slightly wider than the length of the opening 13 of the horizontal partition 12. This measuring-chamber is held against forward movement by means of the containingstrips 19, which are attached to the front of the cabinet and beneath the glass plate, said strips being slightly wider than the thickness of the horizontal partitions 12 and 15. These containing-strips are held in place by being attached to these horizontal partitions. A handle 20 is firmly attached to the front of the measuring-cabinet 18, by which the measuring-chan'tber may be manually moved longitudinally beneath the hopper, which is formed by means of the inclined bottom and its projections.

Through the front side of the measuringchamber 18, and preferably at the right hand of the handle 20, is a longitudinal slot- 21, designed to receive the handle which operates the partition in the measuring chamber which will be more fully set forth hereinafter. Extending around the longitudinal slot 21 is the indicating-plate 22, having a longitudinal slot therein corresponding to the longitudinal slot 21. This indicating-plate has a series of notches for purposes hereinafter made clear, and any number of indicating-marks can be placed on said plate. \Vithin the measuringchamber 18 is an adjustable partition 23, the vertical dimensions of which are of any desirable height. This partition is of such width that it can slide freely between the sides of the measuring-chamber 18. Through the slot 21 in the side of the measuring-chamber 18 and through the side of the partition nearest said slot and extending transversely of the partition 23 until its squared end 24 enters the opposite side of the partition 23 is the indicator-rod 25, said indicator-rod having a coil-spring 31, attached at its inner end to the rod 25 and at its outer end to the sleeve 26, through which the rod 25 extends as it passes through the front side of the partition 23. This spring is thus arranged to hold the rod 25 in position. To the inner side 27 of the partition 23 and near the point where the rod 25 enters said side 27 I have mounted a metal plate 28*, having a squared notch therein to prevent the rod 25 from rotating. On the rod 25 and between the knob 28, which is at its outer end, and the indicating-plate 22 I have mounted the indicating-finger 29, said finger extending through the rod 25, so that it will readily engage the slots 30 in the indicatingplate 22, and said finger will be held firmly in engagement with the indicating-plate 22 by means of the coil-spring 31 above referred to. When it is desired to move the partition from one position in the measuring-chamber to another by means of the indicating-rod, this can be readily done by pulling the knob 23 outwardly, which will draw the rod 25 in the same direction and cause the finger 29 to be drawn out of engagement with the slots 30 on the indicating-plate 22, and as soon as the partition has been moved to its desired position the knob can be released, and it can readily adjust itself against the indicating-plate 22 and, if desired, in one of the slots 30. As indicated above, I have provided slight extensions to the'inclined bottom and numbered them 32 for the sake of convenience. Said extensions project frotn the inclined bottom and of snflicient length to extend into the opening 13 of the horizontal bottom, and the extensions are also a slight distance from the sides of this opening 13.

Near the rear end of the partition 23 and to its top portion I have attached firmly the metal plate 33, said metal plate being at its rear end a slight distance above the top of the partition. This plate extends forwardly from its point of attachment to the front end of the partition and has its forward end 34 projecting downwardly at substantially right angles to the body portion, so that the forward end rests against the forward end of the partition 23. This plate 33 is made, preferably, of spring metal, and the front of its body portion is designed to rest against the top of the partition 23 when atits lowerlimit of movement. Pivotally attached between the sides of the measuring-cabinet and at its rear end is a thin metal plate 35. Said plate 35 is slightly longer than the length of the partition 23, and its forward end is designed to rest upon the upper surface of the plate 33. I have firmly attached to that portion of the bottom which is above the partition 23 when it is at its right-hand limit of movement the plate 36, which is preferably made of thin sheet metal, said plate being of substantially the same width as the width of the opening 13. The body portion of the plate 36 is made substantially fiat and has at the end away from its point of attachment a projection 37, which is substantially at right angles to the body portion and extends downwardly therefrom between the edge of the opening 13 nearest the point of attachment of the plate 36 and the extension 32 of the hopper. This projection 37 has a forward projection 38, which is substantially at right angles to the portion 37 and substantially parallel with the body portion of the plate 36. This portion 38 is designed to rest on top of the metal plate 35, so that the substance which comes through the bottom of the hopper will be thrown inwardly by means of said metal plate and its projections, and the substance contained in the hopper will be prevented from escaping into any other portion of the measuring-cabinet than that which is beneath the hopper and in front of the partition 23. In the top of the partition 23 is the eccentric-rod 39, having a screw-head at its front end. This eccentric is so arranged that upon turning it in one direction the metal plate 33 will be raised upwardly, and in consequence of its being raised upwardly the plates and 36 will be correspondingly raised at any desirable distance. An opening is made through the front side of the measuring-chamber 18, so that when the partition is placed in a certain position access may be had to the screw-head on the eccentric 39 from the exterior of the measuringchamber through this opening 40. It will thus be seen by simply using the screw-driver the plates 33, 35, and 36 maybe raised or lowered at the'desire of the operator. The raising and lowering of these plates, together with the raising of the plate to be described hereinafter, accomplishes the purpose of enlarging the space between the partition and the forward end of the measuring-chamber without moving the partition itself.

Attached to the opposite end of the bottom 12, from which the plate 36 is attached, is a metal plate 41, said plate being made of the same substance as the plate 36. The end of the plate 41 nearest the hopper is bent downwardly and substantially at right angles to the body portion of it, forming the projection 42 thereon, said projection having its end portion bent rearwardly and upwardly to form a rounded portion thereon. This projection is designed to rest against the outer portion of the hopper nearest said projection and the rear end of said projection is designed to enter the measuring-cabinet and-fit snugly between its sides, so that when the measuring-chamber has been moved longitudinally of the portion between the partitions 12 and 15 the substance contained in the measuring-chamber will not be forced upwardly. This projection forms a scraper and evens off the material at the level of its lower end. It is obvious that when this plate, which is composed'of spring metal, is attached in the way specified the space between the front end of the partition and the front end of the measuring-chamber and beneath the projection 42 of the metal plate 41 will be the space which will determine the amount of material to be delivered into the hopper 17 when the measuringchamber is moved from right to leftin the bottom 12. Immediately beneath the forward end of the body portion of the plate 41 I have provided an eccentric 39, having a screw-head on its forward end, so that by turning the eccentric in one direction the metal plate will be raised and turned in the opposite direction to lower it.

I have provided a protector for the lower portion of the hopper comprising the top portion 43 and the end portion 44. Said end portion is substantially at right angles to ye measuring-cabinet.

top portion 43 and is attached to the back side of the hopper. This protector is thus adjusted over the opening in the hopper to ing too heavily upon the measuring-chamber, and a greater portion of the substance in the hopper will be borne by this protector. The flow ofvthe substance, however, will not be prevented, owing to the protector being approximately one-half the width of the opening of the hopper.

In practical use and assuming that the space above the hopper in the cabinet is filled with coffee by means of raising the lid 11 and that the measuring-chamber18 is moved to its extreme limit of movement it will be clearly seen that the metal plate 35 and the projections of the metal plates 36 and 41 form an absolute cut-0E for the bottom of the hopper. The operator then adjusts the partition 23 within the measuring'chamber by grasping the knob 28 and pulling it toward him a slight distance by moving the knob 28. While in this extended position the partition, it will be seen, can be readily adjusted for the required amount. He then grasps the handle 20, by means of which he moves the measuring-chamber to the right and beneath the opening 13 at the bottom of the hopper, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The coffee then falls into the measuring-chamber and rapidly fills the space between the front end of the partition and the front end of the As soon as this is filled he again grasps the handle 20 and moves the measuringchamber into the position first stated, and the codes in the chamber when the plate is beneath the opening 13 will be on a level with said plate and the lower end of the projection 42 of the metal plate 41, and an absolute shut-off of the coffee is had by means of the metal plates 35, 36, and 4:1, together with the projections of the plates 36 and 41.

With the above statement it'is assumed that the indicating-plate is so arranged as to compute the value of coffee, which is of sufficient weightand size to fill the space between the front end of the partition and the front end of the measuring-chamber when the partition is adjusted and held at a desired position against the face of the indicating-plate. It is presumed that the amount in the space between the front portion of the partition 23 and the front portion of the measuring-champrevent substance in the hopper from bear- 7 ber 18 will correspond to the marks desigouter ends of these plates to be raised. I then raise the outer end of the plate 41 by means of the eccentric 45, above referred to. It will be clearly seen that the cut-0E will be higher up by means of raising the outer ends of these metal plates. The level of the cofiee will thus always be determined by the metal-plate cutoifs, and these cut-offs will also serve to prevent the substance contained in the device from getting into the working parts of it.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States therefor, is-

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a hopper, a measuring-chamber mounted beneath the hopper, springmetal plates mounted above said measuringchamber, means for adjusting said plates for determining the capacity of the measuringchamber as the measuring-chamber is moved horizontally beneath the hopper, for the purposes stated.

2. In a device of the class described, a hopper, a measuring-chamber mounted beneath said hopper, an adjustable partition in said measuring-chamber, metal plates attached near the hopper, a metal plate attached to the measuring-chamber, and a metal plate attached to the partition, means for raising and lowering said metal plates relative to the measuring-chamber, for the purposes stated.

3. In a measuring-cabinet, the combination with a hopper, of a measuring-chamber slidingly mounted beneath said hopper, springmetal plates attached in the measuring-chamber having their free ends near the bottom of the hopper, and means for adjusting the free ends of said plates vertically, for the purposes stated.

4. In a measuring-cabinet having two horizontal partitions therein, openings in said partitions out of alinement with'each other, a hopper extending into the opening in the upper partition, metal plates attached to the upper surface of the upper partition and havingtheir forward ends substantially at right angles to the body portion, said front ends extending through said opening, a measuringchamberslidingly mounted between said horizontal partitions, pivotallymounted metal plates in said measuring-chamber designed to allow the metal plates which are attached to the upper surface of the upper partition to rest against them, and means for raising and lowering the free ends of said metal plates, for the purposes stated.

5. In a measuring-cabinet having two horizontal partitions therein, openings in said partitions out of alinement with each other, a hopper extendinginto the opening in the upper partition, metal plates attached to the upper surface of the upper partition and having their forward ends substantially at right angles to the body portion, said front ends extending through said opening, a measuring chamber mounted between said horizontal partitions, a metal plate pivotally attached to the measuring-chamber, a partition in said measuring-chamber upon which the metal plates and the measuring-cabinet rest, means for raising and lowering the ends of the plates nearest the hopper, substantially as and for the purposes stated.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a hopper, a horizontal partition below the hopper, having an opening therein to receive the lower end of the hopper, metal plates attached to the horizontal partition and extending between the outside of the hopper and the edges of said opening, eccentrics for raising and lowering the ends of said spring-metal plates to which the projections are attached.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination of a hopper, a horizontal partition below the hopper having an opening therein to receive the lower end of the hopper, metal plates attached to the horizontal partition and extending between the outside of the hopper and the edges of said opening, means for raising and lowering the ends of said metal plates nearest the hopper, for the purposes stated.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination with a horizontal partition having an opening in its central forward portion, spring-metal plates attached to the upper surface of the horizontal partition, projections on said metal plates extending substantially at right angles to the body portion of the metal plates and through said opening, means for raising and lowering the ends of said metal plates nearest the hopper, a measuringchamber mounted beneath said partition, for the purposes stated.

9. In a device of the class described, the combination of a hopper, a horizontal partition below the hopper having an opening therein designed to receive the lower end of the hopper, metal plates attached to the horizontal partition and extending between the outside of the hopper and the edges of said opening, a second partition mounted beneath said horizontal partition and parallel with it, a measuring-chamber slidingly mounted between said partitions, an adjustable partition in the measuring-chamber, a metal plate attached to said adjustable partition, means for raising and lowering one end of said metal plate which is attached to the adjustable partition, for the purposes stated.

10. In a device of the class described, a measuring-chamber having side and end portions, a partition having end, top and side portions adjustably mounted within said measuring-chamber, the front side of said measuring-chamberhavingalongitudinalslot therein, a rod extending through said slot and an indicating-finger on said rod to rest against the outside of the measuring-chamber, means for holding the rod against rotatable movement, a spring mounted on said rod and on the interior of said partition to hold the finger firmly against the front surface of the measuring-chamber, for the purposes stated.

11. In a device of the class described, the combination of a measuring-chamber having a longitudinal slot in the front side thereof, an indicating-plate mounted around said slot, a rod in said partition and extending through said slot, an indicating-finger in said rod to rest against said indicating-plate, a coil-spring on the interior of said partition for holding the indicating-finger firmly against the indicating-plate, for the purposes stated.

12. In a device of the class described, the combination of a measuring-chamber having a longitudinal slot in the front side thereof, an indicating-plate mounted around said slot, a rod in said partition and extending through said slot, an indicating-finger in said rod to rest against said indicating-plate, a coil-sprin g on the interior of said partition for holding the indicating-finger firmly against the indieating-plate, a metal plate having a squared notch therein attachedto the partition to receive the squared end of said rod, a knob attached to said measuring-chamber, for the purposes stated. 7

13. In a device of the class described, the combination of a horizontal partition having an opening therein, a hopper extending into said opening, metal plates attached to the upper surface of the horizontal partition having projections at the end away from the point of attachment, said projections extending substantially at right angles to the body port-ion of the metal plates and into said openpoint of attachment, said projections extending and outside of said hopper, a measuring chamber having metal plates therein in engagement with one of said metal plates, means for raising and lowering the ends of said metal plates nearest the hopper, a lower partition for supporting the measuring-chamber having an opening in it out of alinement with the opening in the said horizontal partition, for the purposes stated.

ERNEST J. AUSTIN.

Witnesses:

F. L. MAYTAG, HOWARD SNYDER, 

